WHILE visiting the British parliament a few years ago, I was struck by the tradition —observed by prime ministers — of paying homage and expressing gratitude at the start of the weekly question time session to British armed forces personnel who had been killed or injured in action.
asserted
who → visit → action
It was the time of the Afghan war and British troops were stationed in Afghanistan.
asserted
troops → station → Afghanistan
I thought it was a great tradition that reminded everyone of the sacrifices made by the soldiers and sent a powerful message to the troops that their countrymen had the highest regard for them and their sacrifices.
asserted
countrymen → think → them
Although Pakistan follows the British parliamentary system, almost all Pakistani prime ministers have avoided personally answering questions in parliament.
asserted
ministers → follow → parliament
As prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani used to answer many supplementary questions himself when he was in the House — but that was not a part of the set parliamentary procedure.
asserted
that → use → procedure
Imran Khan had promised to follow this British tradition when he was prime minister and personally answer questions.
asserted
he → promise → questions
However, he neither tried to change the parliamentary rules nor did he ever answer any questions in parliament.
asserted
he → try → parliament
Both Houses and the provincial assemblies observe question hour but there is no parliamentary tradition of routinely acknowledging the sacrifices of the country’s shuhda and ghazis.
asserted
Houses → observe → shuhda
The president, prime minister, ministers and senior civil and military officers do issue statements, and legislatures occasionally pass resolutions honouring those fighting a bloody war against terrorism; but the possibility of a weekly tribute did cross my mind.
asserted
possibility → issue → mind
After all, hardly a day passes without hearing of security personnel — in the armed forces, paramilitaries, police and other security bodies — who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
asserted
who → pass → duty
We need committees that are more active in debating national security.
asserted
that → need → security
Almost all sources of information show that the number of violent terrorist incidents, casualties and fatalities in Pakistan have reached their highest level in a decade.
asserted
number → show → decade
According to the South Asian Terrorism Portal, the number of violent terrorist incidents in 2025 was 1,077 with fatalities among the forces and civilians touching 1,229 and 655 respectively during the year.
uncertain
fatalities → accord → year
The data gathered for 2026 points to even higher figures when compared to the average monthly figures for 2025.
asserted
data → gather → 2025
For example, the number of terrorism incidents increased to a monthly average of 118, compared to 90 in 2025.
asserted
number → increase → 2025
Similarly, average monthly fatalities of civilian and security forces personnel in the first nine months of 2026 (up to Sept 21) have increased to 74 from 55 last year and to 114 from 102, respectively.
asserted
fatalities → increase → 102
These figures indicate a steep spike in attacks, particularly carried out by two major terrorist groups that the state aptly refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
asserted
state → indicate → Khawarij
We do not see the level of concern and debate within democratic institutions that is warranted by the rise in acts of terrorism.
asserted
that → see → terrorism
We have four key standing committees relating to the issue in parliament — separate Senate and National Assembly standing committees on defence and two other committees of the Senate and National Assembly on the interior.
asserted
We → have → interior
In addition, each of the four provincial assemblies has a standing committee on home affairs.
asserted
each → have → affairs
Whatever little record is available on these legislatures’ official websites does not indicate that the committees have been often and actively debating the rising incidence of terrorism in the country — especially in KP and Balochistan —in detail, which should have been done in view of the situation.
asserted
which → indicate → situation
The plenaries of the six national and provincial legislatures have debated the issue on and off, and passed resolutions too.
asserted
plenaries → debate → resolutions
I am sure that more frequent discussions in the legislative bodies would not only contribute to finding more effective ways in which the menace of terrorism can be combated at the people’s level, but the attention given by the legislators to this issue would further boost security personnel’s morale.
asserted
attention → contribute → morale
In 2019, the Speaker of the National Assembly had constituted a joint (National Assembly and Senate) committee on national security under his own chairmanship and included the senior-most parliamentarians and ministers.
asserted
Speaker → constitute → parliamentarians
But since the last election in 2024, the committee has apparently ceased to exist.
asserted
committee → cease → 2024
It doesn’t necessarily mean that we need a parliamentary committee on national security while the committees on defence and interior already exist.
asserted
committees → mean → defence
However, what we need are committees that are more active in debating national security.
asserted
that → need → security
The public should be confident that national security issues are being discussed and timely decisions being made at the appropriate forum.
asserted
decisions → discuss → forum
In this context, it is difficult to understand the relatively inactive state of the National Security Committee, which was created in 2013.
asserted
which → understand → 2013
The Committee, which brings together the top civil and military leadership under the chairmanship of the prime minister, has not met even once during the current calendar year.
asserted
which → bring → year
Given the prevailing circumstances and the mandate of the NSC, it should meet more regularly, preferably on a monthly basis.
asserted
it → give → basis
Just for comparison, Britain’s National Security Council meets every week under the prime minister although the UK has far fewer security issues than Pakistan.
asserted
UK → meet → Pakistan
It is hoped that the National Counter Terrorism Authority — a very important body especially in the present context — will not only become more active under its new national coordinator Maj-Gen Faisal Naseer but will also attempt to raise its public profile by, for example, sharing at least a sanitised version of the progress on the implementation of the National Action Plan with the people, their representatives and the media.
asserted
Authority → hop → people
Extending its outreach will bolster public trust.
asserted
Extending → extend → trust
The writer is president of the Pakistan-based think tank Pildat.
asserted
writer → base → tank
The Aporia
